Windshield conduit



Feb. 20, 1940. E. A. wEsTLlNG WINDSHIELD CONDUJST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 29, .1938

, SSQS N...

E.A.Westling Gttorneg WINDSHIELD CONDUIT Filed June 29, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bg E.A.Weslying -Gttorneg to all makes of modern automobiles, which at `one Figure is a plan view of the heater connectend may be readily attached to the several difing end of said conduit. ferent types and sizes of the outlet ports for air` Figure 6 is a side elevation of the same, partly provided adjacent .the lower edges of the wind in section, engaging the port outlet Wall of a 1-5' l shield, and which at itsother end may bereadily heater. l l v attached to the several diiTerent types of auto" Figure 7 is a fragmentary inner side elevation mobile heaters which employ motors for impelof the conduit attached to a heater having a v ling air through said heaters.` rectangular outlet. n

9 Oi late years the manufacturers of several Figure 8 is a similar view with a heater having 20 different makes of automobiles provide their .own a circular outlet. .l particular make of heater and conduit attach- Figure 9 is a like view with a heater having a ment, the latter extendingfromthe heater to the smaller circular outlet.

` outlet port adjacent the windshield glass, said Figure 10 is a further like view wherein the 35 conduits being so constructed that they accomheater has an elongated or slotted outlet. 2,5

modate only a particular make of vehicle, where- Figure 11 is a longitudinal fragmentary S60* i by the owner of an automobile heretofore has tion of another form of heater outlet having the been forced to purchase a conduit and heater conduit attached thereto. sold by the retailer of the car he owns in `order Figure`12 is a side elevation of the conduit septo have a successful installation and atan in- `arated from a modied form of the attaching 30 creased costto `'said owner, not `only for the cerring for connection to the heater.l `.tain type .of yconduit but also for the labor "cost `Referring now to the drawings, and rst to of the installation thereof. In other Words, it Figures 1 to 4, the invention is disclosed as aphas been the practice of vautomobile mantufacplied to an automobile 2U having a windshield 2.|

turers `to so arrange theyoutlet por-t oi their parthe lower portionof `which is mounted in the cowl 35 ticular make of automobile with respect to their 22 of the Vehicle body, and the latter is provided heater, @hat Orl-1l 4llil Pa-I'ular Conduit maybe in the usual manner with a warm air draft open- `employed for the purpose of controlling the sale ing 23 which opens downwardly through the -cowi 0f the Sad alltGmOble @CCGSSOW and it iS afur.- at the inner side of the windshield and isl adapted o ther object of the invention to provide a flexible to receive a current of warm air from asui-table 40 .l5 A furtherobject ofthe invention is to provide 2l, with an upstanding angezli utilized in the 45 i Patented Feb. 20," 1940 t l I n WINDSHIELD ONDUIT Application June 29, 192s,` serialN. 216,600 2 claims. (el. 2li-40.5)

This invention relates to automobile Windhaving an embodiment of the invention attached `shield heaters, and more particularly to a device thereto.

for causing hot air to be spread over the surface Figure 2 is a detail fragmentary and enlarged of the windshield for the purpose of removing sectional view taken substantially on line 2-2 `5 frost, sleet and the like therefrom whereby fthe of Figure l, `showing the conduit connected to hazards of motor vehicle operation, particularly `the base of the windshield. during the winter months, are lessened and clear Figure 3 iS a Vertical SeCliOIl hlOllgh the Sam@ vision provided through the glass of a windshield on line 3-3rof Figure 2; during said season. Figure 4 is a detail top plan view of the mouth `lo It is an object of the invention to provide a of the 4conduit which engages the base of the l' conduit having an end of universal application Windshield in use.

UNITED STATES lPATENT ori-ics conduit which may be readily `attached to any source, such as a heater 24, as shown in Figure 1, modern automobile by the owner of the latter suitably'connected to the cowl opening 23-by a and 4at a reasonable cost as `compared with the flexible conduit 25. 'I'he cowl opening ,23 is pro- DPGSBM D'Ia'C'iC@ l i vided at its inner side, remote from the windshield a device for the `above stated purposes which is I, present instance for securing `the adjacent end economical in construction `and eiiicient in opof thelconduit in position.

elatOIli As shown `particularly inFigures 2 and 3, the Other and further objects and advantages of conduit 25 may have a wall of a suitable fabric the invention will be apparent rromthe :following or the like maintained extended and in flexible 5.0

` detailed description thereof, reierence being had condition by a coil spring 2'! disposed within the to :the accompanying drawings in which: conduit 25 and suitably anchored` at `opposite -Figure l is `a `front elevation, partly broken ends in the ends of the conduit, such as by the away, of the cowlboard ci a motor vehicle showinwardly overturning of the end of the conduit ingthe inside surface of a windshield glass and and Stitching the same to form a hem 28 within `55 A which is anchored the adjacent end of the spring 21.

According to the present invention the conduit 25 is provided at the windshield air supply end,

with a hood or mouth section 29 which may also be oifabric. The inner end of the mouth section 29 is secured by a row of stitches 39 to the end portion of the conduit 25, andthe mouth date the mouth 29 beneath the section of.v thev windsheield 2| arranged over the steering col,- umn of the automobile.

The outerenlarged end of the mouth section` 29 is overturned to provide a hem` 3| withinl which is secured a at iiexible ring 32, of steel ,A v

`the adjacent end of the helical spring 21 for stiffening the end of the conduit. Stitched, orv

end of the mouth section 29 is of suiiciently large dimensions relatively to the opening 23 as to fit against the under flat side of the cowl 22 for substantially sealing the mouth section' 29 against the cowl an-d thus directheated air upwardly through the opening 23 and thus against the inner side of the windshield 2l. The upper end of the mouth section 29 is provided with a cross piece 33 extending between the side walls of the mouth section 29, as shown in Figure 4, and which is provided atlopposite ends with flat lugs or ears 34 engaging the inner opposite walls of the mouth section 29, within the ringV 32 tov hold the latter in spaced relation and from collapsing. The cross piece 33 is hel-d in `place by a transverse bolt 3 5 which is secured through the ears 34-and through the opposite sides of the hem I3l and the ring 32,A the bolt y35' having a nut 35 for clamping the several parts lupon `the bolt.

The cross piece 33 is provided with a slotted tongue 31 disposed intermediate the sides of the mouth section`29 and through which is slidably mounted a connecting bar 38. About the lower end of the bar 38 is disposed a helical lspring 38 havingiits lower end anchored on the bar 38 and bearing at its upper end against the tongue 31 so that the bar 38 is normally urged downward through the tongue by the spring 39. The upper end of the 4.bar 38 may have shoulders 48 projecting therefrom to engage the tongue 31 and hold the bar 38 from accidental displacement from the tongue during handling and installation of the heat conduit. Above the shoulders 40, the'bar 38 is provided with aneye 4| for the reception, temporarily, of a pull wire 42 used inmounting the device upon the cowl. The upper' end portion of the bar 38 isbendable, as shown in Figure 2, so that the bar may be drawn up through the draft opening 23 and. bent over upon the cowl iiangey 28 to hold the bar 38 under'tension and maintain the conduitin place.

In making .an installation of the conduit' 25 upon the modern type of automobile having the warm air opening 23, the wire 42 is secured through the eye 4l of the attaching or con necting bar 38. The wire 42is threaded upwardly through the air opening 2| and the mouth section 29 of the conduit is adjusted into proper position beneath and in register lwith the opening 23 of the column. By means of the wire 42, the bar 38 is now drawn upwardly to'com'- press the spring 39 and lift themouth section of the conduit 25 up against the underside of the cowl 22 and to also compress and rmly hold the mouth section 29 in contact with the cowl. When the desired pressure is obtained upon the spring 39, the upper end of the bar 38 may be overturned by the use of pliers, as shown in Figure 1,. int,o.,the hookedy A,position shown in dotted lines at 43 in Figure 2 so that the hook 43 of the bar holds lthe latter'against the tension ofthe spring, acting through the tongue 31 yieldingly binds the mouth section 29 of the conduit against thev` bottom of the cowl 22.

yWithreierence now to Figures to 12, show- 4ing the opposite or heater end of the conduit attached to heatersffor outlet openings of various sizes and configurations, the rend of the conduit '25 near the heater is overturned and stitched to provide a hem 44 in which issecured vbe flat as shown and which'is capable of being deformed` into the various configurations shown in Figures 5 and 'l to 10. The hem 46 has in its :other pocket a draw Stringer tape 48, the ends of which are carried through an opening 49 in the outer side of the hood 45 so that in certain conditions of installation the draw string 48 may be drawn together and tied as shown in Figure 11. The ring 41 is provided at opposite sides with a pair of offset and outwardly turned ears 59 which are adapted, upon compression of the opposite Sides of the ring 41, to enter a hot air opening 5l provided in a `wall 52 of the heater 24, and which, upon release of the ring 41, are adapted to spring apart and engage over the opposite marginalv edges of the opening 5l for holding the hood 45 in tight engagement against the wall 52 and in line with the opening 5l.

"As shown in Figure I the ears 50 engage the opposite sides of a rsubstantially rectangular opening 5|a inthe wall 52 of the heater and it will be noted that the flaring or enlarged end l.

of 'the hood 45 is of suflicient size tofv cover the to include all portions of theopening and to also ,A hold? the ears in place. 1 i

l Figure 8 shows a `hotair outlet opening 5|b of circular form in the wall 52 of the heater. It will be noted that the earsf50 are held over the opposite edgesv of the opening by the inherent spring action of the ring 41.

Figure 9 shows the same structure of coupling for holding the 'ears 5U at the opposite sides of an opening 5lc of circular form, but of smaller dimensions than that of the opening 51D. From this Figure 9 it will be apparent that the inherent resiliency of the ring 41 adapts the hood 45 and vthe ears 50 to openings of various sizes as Well as shapes.

4Inl Figure 10` the hood 45 is shown as attached ears Sil-with the opposite `edgesl of the opening Sid andthe ring 41 holds the end of the hood "45 intosubstantially the shape of the opening |d.' l It` is thus apparentthat the hood 45" is held into substantially thejshape of the opening in the heater irrespective of its shape or size.

In Figure 11 aheater `214 is shown provided with a side wall 52a having'a warm air outlet opening 5l therethrough from the marginal portion of` whichis` outturned a I coupling neck 53 over which may be placed the end of thehood 45. `In this instance the outer portion ofthe l i hem.; 4S is cut from the hood so that the draw i i string or tapefll` may surround theconnecting 48 is now pulled taut within the remainingiporneck 53, as shown in Figure 11. The draw string tion of the hem 46 to contract the same and bind it uponthe neck portion 53forsecuring and seal-` ing the hood uponthe neck and 'about the air f `opening 5|. l i n n i `Asa slight modification of the form shown in Figure 11,` the coupling neck portion'53a may V:be ofiring form independent of the structure of the heater24, thering 53,a being resilient and supporting a pair of opposed ears 50a adapted `to be snapped through a heater opening andto expand and interlock over the opposite `mar-1` ginalfedges `of the opening 'so as to holdthe neck portion 53a to the heaterin amanner similar i tothe attachment of the iiexible ring 41 to the `heater as shown in Figure 6. When the detach- `able neck `portion `53a'isused; the outer portion f of the hem 46 is cut away and the draw string 48 is fitted with its hem `portion over` the connecting `neck `53%A and drawn taut thereabout in a manner `similar to that shown in Figure 11. o

` l, Itis obvious that various. changes and modiy scope of thefollowing claims:

iicationsmay be made` in the details of construetion and design of the above specicallyfdescribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof, suchchanges and modifications being restrictedonly bythe Whatis claimed is: n 1. A conduit for heating automobile Vwindshields comprising a flexible body portion having a flexible mouth section flaring vfrom the end thereof, a resilient ring'mounted in the outer end of the mouth section for normally distending the same, `a cross piecev secured to said ring within the enlarged end of the mouth section, n a bar slidably disposed through the cross" piece,

an `expanding spring mounted` on the bar with one end connected to thebar andthe other end n bearing againstsaid `cross piece to normally `urge the bar inwardly relative Ito the conduit; said"` bar adapted to be threaded upwardly through the cowl opening of a windshield and to be drawn `up through the opening to compress said spring andxyieldingly bind the mouth section against theunderside of the cowl, the upper end of said bar adapted to be overturned upon the cowl for holding the bar vand the mouth piece under compression. v i

2,. A `conduit for heating automobile wind- ,l

`shie1ds ycomprising a exible body portion hav- 1- 'ing a flexible mouth section flaring from the end thereof; a reinforcing ring mounted inthe outer end of the `mouth section for holding said mouth open, a cross piece secured to said ring within `the enlarged end of the mouth section, a bar slidably dilspo'sedithrough` the cross piece, an `expanding spring mounted on the bar` with one end connected' to `thebar andthe other end bearing against said cross piece to normally urge the bar inwardly relative to the' conduit, said bar adapted to be threadedupwardly through the cowl opening of a` windshield and` to be drawn up i through the opening` to compress said spring and n fyieldingly bind the mouth section againstthev underside of the cowl, the upper end of saidbar adapted to be overturned upon the cowl for holding the bar andthe mouth piece under compres- 

